The Supreme Court on Friday asked music composer A. R. Rahman and the makers of Ponniyin Selvan: II to consider giving “some acknowledgement” to the Dagarwani tradition for its contribution to the film’s song Veera Raja Veera.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a plea filed by Dhrupad vocalist Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar challenging a September 2025 order of the Delhi High Court, which had held that there was no prima facie evidence to show that the Junior Dagar Brothers were the authors of a classical rendition of Shiv Stuti.

Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, son of Faiyazuddin Dagar and nephew of Zahiruddin Dagar, had contended before the high court that he held copyright in all original compositions of the Junior Dagar Brothers, including Shiv Stuti, and that the work had been unlawfully infringed.

During Friday’s proceedings, the bench told Dagar’s counsel, “First performance does not necessarily mean authorship. Your case is more of an inference from the first performance that it is authorship. The issue is whether you were the creator or got it from the Dagar tradition and sang it for the first time”.

In response, the counsel said, “I am claiming rights over one particular composition. My right is in composition. My father and brother had created it.”

The bench then asked whether the petitioner was claiming the “originality of the raga”, to which the lawyer clarified that the claim pertained to the composition and not the style or manner of singing.

The apex court underlined the need to recognise the Dagarwani tradition’s contribution to Indian classical music.

“The originality of the tune is undisputed. If these gharanas had not contributed to the shastriya sangeet (classical music), do you think these modern singers would have managed,” the bench told Rahman’s counsel, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi.

Singhvi submitted that no objection had been raised during earlier renditions. “But during our rendition, he (Dagar) objected,” the senior advocate said.

“See, there should be some acknowledgement. They are traditional worshippers of classical music. He is not in the competitive domain. They want respect and recognition,” the bench observed.

After Singhvi sought time to seek instructions, the court posted the matter for further hearing on February 20.